Text Message Marketing: Slick Text Debuts API

With so many people glued to their smart phones these days, text message marketing simply makes sense. Done right, it’s easy, personable and gets the word out instantly. Slick Text is on-board with the idea. The mobile marketing company has just released the Slick Text API that enables third-party developers to integrate its text message service into their own products.

Here is how Slick Text works: you go to the Slick Text website and reserve a unique keyword, something like “Jacks Grill.” By sending "Jacks Grill" to a shortcode, your customers can opt in to receive your messages. An automated message lets them know what they've signed up for, and from there, you can start sending promotions. The service also includes scheduled messaging, link shortening, tracking and other automated features.

Restaurants and bars can use this type of service to send mobile coupons for meal and drink specials. Schools can use it to alert parents about snow days. Groups can send meeting reminders. The key to successful text marketing is to follow proper text etiquette. Businesses shouldn’t bombard customers with messages, always offer something of value, and only market to those who have opted in to hear what you have to say.

Users can access their Slick Text accounts from the web, but the RESTful API, which returns JSON, allows them to integrate the service with their own business systems or develop new applications all together.

“We’ve been working on our API for quite a while. We’re extremely excited to finally get it into the hands of other programmers and help them to start developing a new generation of apps,” said Slick Text CEO Matt Baglia.

Slick Text says that in a few months, it will include documentation in its SDK helpful to those with less programming knowledge.